Pastors want to bring ‘God’ to Courthouse

The pastors of about 50 Anderson County churches want to put the words “In God We Trust” on the Anderson County Courthouse.

by Donna Smith/Staff

The pastors of about 50 Anderson County churches want to put the words “In God We Trust” on the Anderson County Courthouse.

Anderson County Mayor Terry Frank will convey the ministers’ wishes at the upcoming Anderson County Commission on Tuesday night.

There would be no cost to the county, Frank states in her report to Commission. The cost of placing the words on the Courthouse would be funded through contributions from churches, businesses and individuals.

Attached to the county mayor’s report are several supporting documents — in the form of newspaper articles and resolutions approved by the U.S. Congress in 2011 — which indicate that placing the words on the Courthouse isn’t a violation of church and state.

Lynn Byrge, owner of Atomic Electric in Oak Ridge, first brought the initiative to The Oak Ridger’s attention. He said the words could be placed above the two front entrances of the doors of the Anderson County Courthouse, as well as below the roof line on the sides of the building.

Byrge also presented the list of churches that he had contacted in regards to supporting the action. The churches are from all areas of the county — including Oak Ridge.

The November 2011 resolutions approved by the U.S. House and Senate reaffirm “In God We Trust” as the official U.S. motto and state the legislators are “supporting and encouraging the public display of the national motto in all public buildings, public schools, and other government institutions.”

The motto is now above all four main entrances to the Putnam County Courthouse in Cookeville, according to the Cookeville Herald-Citizen.

“I support it,” Frank told The Oak Ridger on Thursday.

She explained that she’ll introduce the issue to the County Commission and ask Tom Byrge, Clinton Baptist Association’s director of missions, to speak on the issue and list the churches that are in support of the project.

Baptist churches make up the majority of the churches on the list, as they do within the county, but churches of other denominations have signed on as well.